1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and an imaging system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and an imaging system having an current-position-recording function using a global positioning system (GPS), and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the widespread use of GPS, using digital cameras utilizing GPS has become popular these days. How to use such cameras is mainly as follows:
(1) Add information of the imaging position to the captured images when imaging is performed. The user can obtain the imaging position of each of the images by displaying the images on a map on a display of a camera or a computer after capturing the images.
(2) Keep recording positions regardless of whether the imaging is performed to obtain a record of route log. The user can obtain information of the route of the movement by displaying the route log on a map on a screen of a camera or a computer.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-91290 discusses a technique in which in addition to a camera, an external apparatus is used for recording the route log. After an image is recorded, the imaging time is checked against the route log for recording the locations where the imaging has been performed.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-80843 discusses a technique useful for recording a route log by using a cellular phone with GPS. According to this technique, the position of the cellular phone is acquired when the user of the cellular phone passes a particular location, so that the route log is interpolated. This technique is useful when the position cannot be acquired at, for example, underground shopping mall).
According to the usage described above, imaging apparatuses can be used for adding an imaging position to a captured image as well as recording a route log unrelated to the imaging. When such imaging apparatuses are operated for the purposes described above, two files, an image file including the position information and a route log file in which a locus of movement is recorded, will be generated.
However, considering the above-described imaging apparatuses, since the position information is stored in different files (the image file and the route log file), it is difficult to use the information in the imaging file together with the information in the route log file.